Interdependent Self-construals Research Articles

Porous Personhood in Contemporary Chinese Culture: a Dialogue with Cross-Cultural Psychology

This paper proceeds from the seminal distinction made by Markus and Kitayama between independent and interdependent selves as a way of explaining differences in the self-construct of individuals of, respectively, European-American and East-Asian cultural descent. As influential and productive as this cross-cultural distinction has been, this paper points out that the reproduction of the distinction across generations remains poorly understood. As various disciplines continue to reveal the degree to which our minds are embodied and engaged in constant interactions with our environment, it becomes increasingly obvious that the reproduction of both the independent and interdependent selves must be understood in their cultural context, rather than simply being conceived of as long-lasting effects of ancient agricultural systems or disease vectors. Pursuing this line of inquiry in the contemporary Chinese context, this paper shows that in the very important domains of religion, medicine, and architecture, a certain ontological porosity of personhood is both enacted through daily life actions and—through the medium of popular literature—represented with great momentousness in contemporary Chinese culture. It is suggested that this perception of ontological porosity characteristic of Chinese culture underlies the inclination towards interdependent self-construal that has been vested with such strong explanatory power in cross-cultural psychology. As such, this paper does not disprove the distinction between independent and interdependent self-construals, but it provides more fruitful ways of investigating and thinking about personhood that allows for the fact that human thought processes work themselves out within experiencing bodies who are enmeshed with their cultural environment.

Consumers' continuance intention for participation in virtual corporate social responsibility cocreation activities: Self-construal and flow

We conducted 2 experiments in which we explored the influence mechanism of consumers' beliefs about both corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social responsibility–corporate ability (CSR–CA) on their continuance intention for participation in virtual CSR cocreation activities. We recruited 115 participants in Experiment 1. The results show that CSR–CA beliefs effectively decreased consumers' intention to continue participating in virtual CSR, which was affected by consumers' self-construal. Specifically, for consumers with an independent self-construal, there was a significant correlation between their CSR–CA beliefs and participation continuance intention; however, the correlation between these variables was not significant for consumers with an interdependent selfconstrual. The Experiment 2 sample comprised 171 participants and the results show that the interaction effect between self-construal and CSR–CA beliefs was mediated by flow. Thus, we recommend that marketers design CSR activities to activate an interdependent selfconstrual and enhance consumers' flow, which will increase their continuance intention.

How Decisiveness, Self-Efficacy, Curiosity and Independent and Interdependent Self-Construals Are Related to Future Hopefulness among Senior Students.

Hope is a future-oriented reasoning that influences psychological assets of individuals. A hopeful standing towards the future can positively influence individual well-being. Different standings in terms of hopefulness may create variations in psychological assets of people. In the current study, we examined the associations of decisiveness, self-efficacy, curiosity and self-construals with hopefulness. A total of 278 senior university students were recruited for the study from Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta, North Cyprus. Participants filled six questionnaires; the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Independent and Interdependent Self-Construal Scale, Multi-Domain Decisiveness Scale, Curiosity and Exploration Inventory II, the Dispositional Hope Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The data was analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression analysis on SPSS 23 software program. The results indicated that self-efficacy and decisiveness significantly predicted hopefulness, while curiosity did not predict hopefulness and only independent self-construal had the predictive effect on hopefulness. Based on these findings, the emerging adulthood nature of the study sample was discussed, and further recommendations were presented.

The Self-Construal Scale: A Potential Tool for Predicting Subjective Well-Being of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Despite accumulating evidence that culture shapes the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no studies have yet applied the Self-Construal Scale to individuals with ASD. We compared the self-construals (measured using the Self-Construal Scale) of 31 high-functioning Japanese individuals with ASD with those of 60 typically developing (TD) individuals. We also examined how the self-construals of individuals with ASD related to their intelligence quotient, adverse childhood experiences, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ASD symptoms during adulthood and preschool years, and subjective well-being. Individuals with ASD were more likely to display independent self-construals than were TD individuals; unexpectedly, however, a substantial proportion of individuals with ASD (43.8%) displayed relatively interdependent self-construals. Among individuals with ASD, self-construals were significantly associated with ASD symptoms during preschool years, and with satisfaction of the need for autonomy and frustration of the need for relatedness. Evaluating self-construals can help predict the subjective well-being of high-functioning individuals with ASD. Moreover, the Self-Construal Scale may be useful for understanding the heterogeneous phenotypes of ASD, based on its association with autistic symptoms during preschool years, suggesting that the scale is a potential tool to develop efficient interventions for high-functioning individuals with ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 947-958. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of disorders presenting a variety of symptoms and biological origins that can complicate choosing an intervention best suited for improving well-being. Results indicate that a self-construal scale could help understand individuals with high-functioning ASD by independent and interdependent self-construals that are associated with ASD symptoms during preschool years and adult subjective well-being. Our findings suggest that this scale can help understand ASD and select appropriate interventions.

Interdependent self-construal predicts emotion suppression in Asian Americans: An electro-cortical investigation

Although people with high interdependent self-construal (SC) are often assumed to be competent in emotion suppression, direct evidence is missing. We tested whether interdependent SC would predict the ability to down-regulate emotional arousal. Americans of both East Asian and European descent were shown a series of pictures. They were instructed to suppress or attend to their emotions. Their electroencephalogram was recorded and analyzed. The late positive potential (LPP) evoked by unpleasant (vs. neutral) pictures (a marker of emotional arousal) was reduced in the suppress (vs. attend) condition. This effect of emotion suppression was more pronounced for those high in interdependent SC than for those low in it. Curiously, the resulting valence x condition x interdependent SC interaction was robust among those of Asian descent, but not those of European descent. The 4-way interaction involving culture was statistically significant. Our work suggests that the purported link between interdependent SC and emotion suppression may be culture-bound.

Why Do People Experience the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)? Exposing the Link Between the Self and the FoMO Through Self-Construal

With the advent of social media, it is getting easier to be informed about different aspects of individuals’ lives. Therefore, experiencing fear of missing out (FoMO), which is characterized by the desire to stay continually connected with others, is becoming increasingly widespread among people. The concept of FoMO has drawn considerable attention from researchers; however, past research has yet to expose the link between the self-concept and FoMO. Drawing on the self-construal theory, we argue that the construal of the interdependent self underlies FoMO. In other words, the current article proposes that people with interdependent self-construal are more vulnerable to FoMO. In Study 1, we conducted online survey research with 566 MTurk participants, 287 U.S. participants and 279 Indian participants. In Study 2, we conducted an experiment with two conditions with 188 MTurk participants residing in the United States. The findings from the two studies provide consistent and convergent findings that FoMO is positively associated with interdependent self-construal. Implications are discussed and further research suggestions are provided.

Dating Violence Perspectives of Latino College Students: Considerations for Violence Prevention Programming

This study sought to explore dating violence perceptions from Latino students in a college setting with the goal of enhancing knowledge for developing successful culturally tailored preventive interventions that decrease Latino college student dropout and enhance persistence. Focus groups including 35 college students attending a Hispanic Serving Institution were conducted. Conventional qualitative analysis showed Latino college students prefer dating violence prevention programming that places a focus on interdependent self-construals emphasizing relationships, which is consistent with their collectivistic values. Moreover, participants addressed unique cultural characteristics of Latinos that should be considered in any dating violence prevention program targeting this population.

Perceived parental guan and school adjustment among Chinese early adolescents: The moderating role of interdependent self-construal

IntroductionPrevious research suggests that supportive parenting is positively related to adolescents' academic and psychological functioning. However, most extant research has focused on parenting styles observed in Western countries, whereas less is known about the role of culturally specific parenting dimensions in Eastern countries such as China. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between parental guan and school adjustment in Mainland Chinese early adolescents, postulating moderation by interdependent self-construal (ISC). MethodsParticipants were 148 early adolescents (48.6% girls) aged between 10 and 13 years, who completed a questionnaire survey. Teachers rated their students' school-related social competence, while academic grades were obtained from school records. ResultsLinear regression models controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status showed that maternal guan was positively associated with social competence. Furthermore, ISC moderated the link between maternal guan and school adjustment. Specifically, high levels of ISC were found to enhance the positive relation between perceived maternal guan and both social competence and academic performance. However, no significant associations were found for paternal guan. ConclusionsOur findings extend prior research by documenting the positive role of guan parenting style and ISC in early adolescents' school adjustment, and underscore the centrality of mothers in the childrearing process within Chinese families.

The impact of self-construal and message frame valence on reactance: a cross-cultural study in charity advertising

In the context of charity advertising, this two-study design project aims to contribute at the intersection of three literatures: psychological reactance theory (PRT), messaging framing, and self-construal theory. Using a survey with student samples from the US and China, Study 1 demonstrated that self-construal affected reactance, such that independent self-construal was more associated with reactance. Further, it outperformed cultural background in predicting reactance. People with predominantly interdependent self-construals showed higher intention to purchase a product with social causes. Study 2 was a 2 (framing: gain vs. loss) × 2 (self-construal: independent vs. interdependent) between-subjects experiment using a non-student sample in the US results on the associations between self-construal and reactance and the intent to donate were consistent with findings of Study 1. Study 2 also indicated that compared to gain-framed appeals, using loss-framed appeals in charity advertising generated more reactance, the gap was more pronounced among individuals with relatively higher interdependent self-construals (i.e. moderate and high levels of interdependent-independent self-construal). This project offers important theoretical and applied implications and provides a robust avenue for future research. Limitations were also outlined.

Cross-cultural affective neuroscience personality comparisons of Japan, Turkey and Germany

Mothering styles and family models of different cultures- that vary in interdependency and independency combinations—can influence the development of basic affects differently. The present study carried out the cross-cultural comparisons of samples from Japan, Turkey and Germany on self-construals, basic affects and Big Five factors. The countries were selected along a Euro-Asian spectrum, from highly collectivistic Japan to least collectivistic Germany, with Turkey as a bridging culture. The sample consisted of undergraduate and graduate students from Kyoto in Japan (n = 353), Istanbul in Turkey (n = 327) and Bonn in Germany (n = 222). The questionnaire included the self-construal scale (SCS), the affective neuroscience personality scales (ANPS) and the big five scale (B5S). SCS scores showed that the level of interdependent self-construals decreased from East to West, but independent self-construals did not gradually increase. Highest independency score was found in Turkey. Theoretically well-known German individualism was not found to be based on higher independency, but on lower interdependency. On ANPS, female groups seemed very similar on positive affects whereas for negative affects they had differences; like Japanese females had higher FEAR, Turkish females had higher ANGER. Similarly, Japanese males had higher FEAR and SADNESS, Turkish males had higher ANGER. On ANPS, Turkish and Japanese males were more similar and distinct from the German males who had lower scores almost on all affects. However on B5S; Turks and Germans were found to be quite similar and distinct from the Japanese. Turkey seemed to maintain more subcortical affective personality similarities with Japan, while attuning more to B5 factors displayed by Germany. Findings are discussed in light of child-rearing styles in each country.

Cultural Self-Views Influence Meaning Making: Self-Construals as Differential Predictors of Meaning in Life among Filipino University Students

Meaning in life refers to the extent to which individuals realize the meaning of their lives (presence of meaning) and are eager to understand the meaning of their existence (search for meaning). Whereas previous research has shown that meaning in life was associated with a wide range of positive psychological outcomes, few investigations explored the social and contextual correlates of a meaningful life. The present study addressed this gap by examining the degree to which self-construal (independent and interdependent self-construals) was differentially related to meaning in life dimensions among Filipino university students. Findings of the structural equation modeling showed that independent self-construal was positively associated with the presence of meaning while interdependent self-construal was positively linked to search for meaning. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment (NADA): New tools to assess nondual traits and states of consciousness occurring within and beyond the context of meditation.

This article details the development of two measures of nondual awareness, the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment-Trait (NADA-T) and the Nondual Awareness Dimensional Assessment-State (NADA-S). Principal component analysis (N = 528) revealed two, interpretable dimensions of the NADA-T: self-transcendence and bliss. Bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling, conducted in three independent samples (N = 338, N = 221, N = 166), indicated that both NADA-T dimensions were components of a second-order nondual awareness construct. Convergent validity was observed between the NADA-T and theoretically aligned constructs, including interdependent self-construals and dispositional mindfulness. Given theoretical and observed relationships between nondual awareness and mindfulness, additional analyses examined the relationship between mindfulness practice and nondual awareness. Results indicated that mindfulness practitioners reported higher NADA-T scores than nonpractitioners, and mindfulness practice frequency was positively associated with nondual awareness. To assess the immediate effect of meditation practice on nondual awareness, items retained in the final version of the NADA-T were modified to create the NADA-S. A randomized controlled experiment (N = 53) comparing participants receiving a mindfulness induction (i.e., body scan) with those in an attention control group revealed state effects of mindfulness on nondual awareness using two, alternate forms of the NADA-S. Thus, the NADA-T appears to be psychometrically sound, representing a novel, standardized instrument capable of facilitating quantitative investigation of nondual awareness. Furthermore, the NADA-S may be useful for measuring fluctuations in nondual states of awareness evoked during mindfulness meditation practice and other contemplative techniques designed to transform consciousness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Culture and media entertainment: A cross-cultural exploration of hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment motivations

Recent studies have juxtaposed hedonic forms of media entertainment motivations (seeking for pleasure and fun) with eudaimonic forms (seeking for insights into the human condition). As most of this research was confined to the Western world so far, this contribution explores the impact of culture on hedonic and eudaimonic media entertainment motivations. Culture is conceptualized on both macro- and micro levels of analysis. On the macro level of countries, the study draws of Hofstede’s concept of individualism/collectivism. On the micro level of individuals, the study explores independent and interdependent self-construals and ethnic identity as potential influences on hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment. A survey was carried out with international students and non-students in Germany and Turkey ( N = 324). Cross-level operator analyses were calculated to explore relationships between cultural variables and hedonic/eudaimonic entertainment motivations. Results show consistently that variables of culture that tap into cultural belonging (collectivism, interdependence, and ethnic identity) are significant predictors of hedonic entertainment. Cultural variables that tap into distinctiveness and separation from one’s collective (individualism and independence) are significant predictors of eudaimonic entertainment. The study is among the first to explore the impact of cultural variability on entertainment motivations and thus especially relevant for sparking up a new line of research.

Interdependent self-construal, social evaluative threat and subjective, cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress response in Chinese

Interdependent self-construal (ISC) is a concept positing that people define their self through social roles and relationships with others. We investigated in two independent studies whether ISC had an effect on psychological and endocrine stress responses. Study 1 collected data of 295 healthy young Chinese participants' subjective report of ISC using the self-construal scale, and daily levels of stress using the daily stress inventory. Correlational analyses showed that individuals with higher ISC perceived higher levels of stress in daily life. Study 2 added biological measures of stress by analyzing both basal cortisol levels and reactive cortisol level of high/low ISC individuals (23 high and 23 low ISC healthy young Chinese participants recruited from a total of 440 participants), in response to the Trier Social Stress test. Participants with high ISC showed higher cortisol stress responses, higher heart rate measurements, and higher subjective stress reports when compared to low ISC participants. Further analyses suggested that participants' perception of social evaluative threat mediated the association between ISC and the cortisol stress response. Taken together, these findings suggest a significant role of ISC in regulating the biological and psychological stress response. These findings are discussed in the context of other personality factors known to affect the stress response, and the cultural-related self-construal literature. We also discuss the possible application of the ISC personality factor for future stress studies.

Construals of self and group: How racial nominalism can promote adaptive intergroup outcomes for interdependent selves

Previous research has found that interdependent self-construals are related to poorer intergroup outcomes. Here we examine interdependent self-construal specifically in relation to comfort in contexts in which people are a numeric minority (i.e., outgroup comfort), and also examine the moderating roles of racial nominalism and racial essentialism. Among a racially diverse sample ( N = 577), interdependent self-construals were related to more outgroup comfort. Two dimensions of racial nominalism—humanist and sociopolitical—were established with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Humanist, sociopolitical, and essentialist beliefs about race were examined as moderators of the interdependent self-construal and outgroup comfort relationship. Among participants of color with higher sociopolitical beliefs, and unexpectedly among participants with higher essentialist beliefs, interdependent self-construal was more positively related to outgroup comfort. Findings are discussed in relation to theory on self- and group-level construals, and in relation to the role of multicultural education for fostering sociopolitical beliefs about race.

Communicating With Nonprofit Publics In China: Applying the RISP Model to Prosocial Intentions

ABSTRACTThis study applied the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to social risk information seeking and processing on social media and prosocial behavioral intentions. Survey data were collected among Chinese college students. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that the model can be successfully applied to social risk information seeking and processing on social media. Students who exhibit high tendencies for systematic information processing and for the interdependent self-construal are more likely to engage in prosocial activities. NPOs are suggested to target young adults with high inter-dependent self-construals, and to craft compelling messages on social media.

Antecedents and Consequences of Ecotourism Behavior: Independent and Interdependent Self-Construals, Ecological Belief, Willingness to Pay for Ecotourism Services and Satisfaction with Life

The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents related to why tourists engage in ecotourism and the consequences of ecotourism behavior. This study examined the concept of self-construal as a social aspect of self that influences different levels of ecological beliefs, which, in turn, affect ecotourism behavior. To address the unsatisfactory predictive power of the belief/attitude-behavior model, this study included the willingness to pay (WTP) for ecotourism between the ecological belief and ecotourism behavior relationships. Finally, this study examined the impact of ecotourism on tourists’ satisfaction with life as a result of ecotourism behavior. A structural equation model was constructed to test the proposed model. We found significant impacts of self-construals in explaining ecological beliefs. Significant relationships were found between ecological belief and WTP for ecotourism services which influenced ecotourism behavior, and between ecological belief and ecotourism behavior which affected satisfaction with life. The moderating effect of gender was only found on the path between WTP and ecotourism behavior. The findings of this study offer some implications for industry and policymakers to develop effective ecotourism programs.

Self-Construals in Situational Context: Disaggregating Behaviours and Intentions Using Sinha et al.’s (2002) Decision-Making Scenarios

The present study examined the influence of independent and interdependent self-construals and social context on decision-making using a set of hypothetical scenarios. Following the methodology of Sinha et al. (J Psychol 37(5):309–319, 2002. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207590244000124 ), a sample of Canadian undergraduate students was presented with 16 decision-making scenarios. Scenarios were divided into two clusters depending on interaction target: nine scenarios related to conflict between personal needs versus family and friends, and seven scenarios related to conflict between personal needs versus community or society. Participants were asked to choose one of five responses: collectivist behaviour with collectivist intent, individualist behaviour with individualist intent, collectivist behaviour with individualist intent, individualist behaviour with collectivist intent, or a mix of collectivist and individualist behaviours and intentions. Participant self-construal was measured orthogonally using Singelis’ (Personal Soc Psychol Bull 20(5):580–591, 1994) Self-Construal Scale. The results suggest that a complex mix of self-concept, situation, and interaction target influenced participant behaviours and intentions. Biggest differences were observed between participants who scored high on one construal and low on the other: those who were more independent were more likely to choose individualist behaviours and intentions, and those who were more interdependent tended to choose more collectivist options. Interdependent self-construal was found to curtail individualist intentions, but not behaviour. Both independent and interdependent participants made collectivist choices towards family and friends as opposed to the greater community. The results have implications for studying the influence of self-concept and cultural norms on behaviour.

When a Family Member is Ill: Implications for Prosocial Behavior Across Cultures

Extant research has yet to uncover whether cultural differences exist in reactions to family member illness and how observed differences may be explained theoretically. The current project examines the impact of cultural worldview on health assessment and behavior—using inclusive measures capturing a range of health promoting activities—when a family member is ill. Following two phases of study, grounded in Markus and Kitayama’s (1991) conjectures about self-construal and culture, results point to a relationship of interdependent construals of self and helping behavior as a form of health promotion in the context of a family illness. In light of research emphasizing the role of culture in motivating altruistic and relationship concerns, we propose two mechanisms through which the relationship among interdependent self-construal, family illness, and prosocial behavior can be explained.

Free speech as a cultural value in the United States

Political orientation influences support for free speech, with liberals often reporting greater support for free speech than conservatives. We hypothesized that this effect should be moderated by cultural context: individualist cultures value individual self-expression and self-determination, and collectivist cultures value group harmony and conformity. These different foci should differently influence liberals and conservatives’ support for free speech within these cultures. Two studies evaluated the joint influence of political orientation and cultural context on support for free speech. Study 1, using a multilevel analysis of data from 37 U.S. states (n = 1,001), showed that conservatives report stronger support for free speech in collectivist states, whereas there were no differences between conservatives and liberals in support for free speech in individualist states. Study 2 (n = 90) confirmed this pattern by priming independent and interdependent self-construals in liberals and conservatives. Results demonstrate the importance of cultural context for free speech. Findings suggest that in the U.S. support for free speech might be embraced for different reasons: conservatives’ support for free speech appears to be motivated by a focus on collectively held values favoring free speech, while liberals’ support for free speech might be motivated by a focus on individualist self-expression.